Water distributor for vertical-tube condensers



Jan. 6. 1925. 1,522,366

N. H.A HILLER WATER DISTRIBUTOR FOR VERTICAL TUBE CONDENSERS Filed' Jan. a, 1925 PATENT OFFICE.

NICOLAITI. KILLER, OF CARBONDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER DISTRIBUTOR FOR VERTICAL-TUBE CONDENSERS..

Application tiled January 6, 1923.

To all to/10m t may concern:

Be it known that I, NiconAi ll. llinnnu, a Citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Carbondale, in the county of lau-kawanna and Stato of Pennsylvania. have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in lVater Distributors for Vertical-Tube Condensers, of which the following is a specilication.

'lhis invention is an improved device for use in connection with vertical tube rondensers or other heat interehangers to control the delivery and distribution of the cooling water or other liquid within the tubes.

The main objects of mv invention are to secure economy and elliriency in the use of the cooling water by preventing the water from running down the centers of the tubes. and to greatly increase the heat transmitting power bv insuring the thorough rovering ofthe tube surface. by a thin film of the water.

Ih'ly improved distributor in its preferred form i's a tubular member adapted to be detacbably supported within the upper open end of a vertical tube of a condenser to partially close theI4 tube. said member having passages for the water to flowinto the tube in a diagonal or helical direction directly against and along the tube surface to form the desired film and a uniform distribution. The member also has a large central passage serving as an overflow into the tube iu ease the Water above the upper tube sheet rises above a predetermined level.

ln the accompanying drawings l have illustrated one embodiment of my invention.

ln these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing a. part of a vertical tube condenser equipped with my improved distributor.

Fig. 2 is a side elevatioiloff/ne of the distributors.

Fig. fl is an end view of the distributor, and

llig. l is a section on the line 4-4 of `Fig. 3, the lower portion of the section being in a warped plane following two opposite passages.

l have illustrated my improved distributor in connection with a vertical tube e0ndenser in which there are a plurality of tubes 10 Within a shell 11,l and connected to tube sheets 12. The upper tube sheet cooperates With a peripheral Wall 13 to form a vessel or chamber 14 for the cooling liquid,

Serial No. 610,998.

said chamber being in open communicatiou with the cooling tubes 10 which project through the tube sheet. The gas or vapor to be. condensed is caused to circulate in or is delivered to the chamber 15 within the shell and around the cooling tubes.

In connection with this condenser I employ a plu 1ality of distributors, one for each of the tubes 10, and serving to deliver and distribute the cooling water from the chamber 1 4 to the inner surface of the tube. Each distributoi.' is in the form of a tubular member 16 having a lower portion 17 adapted to fit into the upper open end of a tube l() and provided with suitable stop n'ieans, as for instance a flange or shoulder 1H for limiting the downward or inward movement of the distributor, and supporting the distributor solely from the tube. 'The lower portion 17 is of such diameter as to hold the distributor properly 'centered iu the lube.- and this portion, as well as the flange 18, is provided with a plurality of diagonal or helical grooves 19 each opening at its upper end into the water chamber 14. and at its lower end into the tube. rlhese grooves form passages for the cooling water and deliver separate streams of the Watei' into the tube substantially tangentially. ly delivering the water in this manner the water is directed against the inner surface in such a way that it tends to remain in direct Contact with the surface. and as the course of the current is modified by the action of gravity. each stream will be eil'eetively distributed about the entire periphery of the. inner surface of the tube. By using a plurality of such passages constructed in this manner. a uniform distribution of the water in the form of a thin film is secured and the Water acts inthe most effective manner to transfer heat from the fluid in contact With the outer surfaces of the tubes. Each member 16 has a central passage 20 open at both ends.

The body portion ol' the member '16 above the flangev 18. is preferably very much smaller than the tubes 10. so that its outer surface comes inside of the row of passages 19. Thus the passages may be easily machined as grooves alongthe full length wf the, larger diameter portion, and through the flange and the, Water may freely enter said passages when the members are in place. This reduction in the diameter of the upwardly extending body portion is important also, because it permits a far greater space between adjacent members in the chamber 14. Thus the chamber may contain a larger supply of water and lthe water may flow more rapidly and easily from the inlet to all parts of the chamber, and -maintain a uniform head.

The members are of such length that the desired level of water may be maintained in the upper vessel 14, and in case the water is delivered to a rate, it may overflow through the central passages of the several distributors, and the level of the water in the vessel 14 will thus be prevented from exceeding the predetermined height.

The distributors are supported solely by the tubes or the tube sheets, and are automatically centered within the tubes. Thus the distributors may be readily removed to permit a rapid draining of the vessel, and -may be as easily replaced. As the passages Afor the normal distribution of the water are in the form of shallow grooves, any clogging or obstruction of the passages may be readily overcome by merely raising the distributor and iushing ofi' the lower end thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A distributor for the cooling liquid d of a vertical tube condenser, including a tubular member having the lower part adapted to be inserted within the open upper end of the condenser tubeand to have a loose lit therein, and having a Hangs seating upon said tube end to support said member, said flange and the portion within the tube having a plurality of registering helically disposed comparatively shallow long pitch grooves, and said member vhaving a central passage serving as an overflow passage. y

2. A vertical tube condenser having an upper tube sheet, a plurality of .tubes projecting down therefrom and a wall coacting with the tube sheet to form a vessel for cooling liquid above the tube sheet, said vessel communicating with said tubes, said vcondenser being provided with a plurality of distributors lwithin said vessel, each distributor having a central passage therethrough and having an outwardly extending projection adjacent to the lower end, the portion below said projection extending into a. corresponding tube, and said projection resting u on the upper end of the tube to support t e distributor, said projection having spaced grooves, and the portion of the outer surface of the distributor below the the vessel at too rapidA projection having long pitch helical comparatively shallow grooves registering with the grooves in said projection.

3. The combination with a vertical tube condenser having an upper tube sheet, a

eripheral wall extending upwardly thererom to form a vessel for cooling liquid and a plurality of tubes projecting downwardly from the tube sheet. ot' a plurality of distributors within said vessel, each including a lower portion extending into a corresponding tube, an intermediate portion of larger diameter than the tube, and seating at the upper end of said tube, and an upper portion of materially smaller diameter tban said tube to permit 'free flow of water in the chamber between tbe upper portions of adjacent distributors, each distributor baving a centra passage therethrough, and passages through said intermediate portion and along the surface oi. said lower portion to deliver cooling water from 'said vessel to the inner surface of said tube.

4. A distributor for the coolingl water of a vertical tube condenser, including a tubular member having a lower end portion adapted to be inserted within the open upper end of a condenser tube, and a body portion of materially smaller diameter than said lower portion, said larger lower portion having grooves in the outer surface and extending the full length thereof.

5. A distributor for the cooling water of a vertical tube condenser, including a tubular member having an annular flange adapted to seat on the upper end of a tube, and means below said flange for holding tbe member concentric with the tube, a portion of said member above the flange being of materially smaller diameter than the tube` and said iange having passages therethrough adapted to lead from the space outside of the portion above the flange to the in- V terior of the tube below the flange.

6. A distributor for the cooling liquid of a vertical tube condenser, including a tubular member having the lower part adapted to be inserted within the open upper end of a condenser tube, and having a plurality of helically disposed comparatively shallow grooves, the portion of said member above said grooves being of an external diameter less 'than the inside diameter of the row of grooves, whereby said grooves at their upper ends terminate outside of said outer surface of the upper portion.

Signed at Carbondale, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania,

this fourth day of J anuary,I A. D. 1923.

NICOLAI H. HILLER. 

